Celtics vs. Pacers Prediction
Can the Boston Celtics go on the road and pick up a big win against the beat-up Indiana Pacers tonight at 7PM ET?
529 Boston Celtics vs. 530 Indiana Pacers
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
7PM ET – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, the Celtics are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -2 points against the Pacers. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 215 points. The public betting currently has 79 percent going on the Celtics as the road favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Celtics in a funk
Boston is coming off a 105-104 loss at home to Oklahoma City on Sunday. The Celtics have now lost four of their last five contests. Boston is 42-21 on the season, 19-12 on the road, 38-23-2 against the spread and 34-29 with the under.
The Celtics are putting up 113 points per game on offense this season while shooting 46 percent from the field. Defensively, Boston is giving up 106.8 points per game while opponents shoot 44.1 percent from the field. Jaylen Brown is out for tonight’s game due to a hamstring injury. He averages 20.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. Jayson Tatum is leading the team with 23.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest. Kemba Walker is adding 21.4 points and 5.0 assists per game.
Pacers rolling along
Indiana wrapped up a five-game road trip with a 112-109 win at Dallas. The Pacers have won six of their last seven games coming into tonight. Indiana is now 39-25 on the season, 21-10 at home, 34-28-2 against the spread and 34-29-1 with the over.
The Pacers are putting up 109.3 points per game on offense this season while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. Defensively, Indiana is holding opponents to just 107.3 points per game while opponents shoot 44.8 percent from the field. The Pacers continue to be without Malcom Brodgon due to a quad injury while Jeremy Lamb was just lost for the season due to a knee injury. Victor Oladipo is also questionable tonight due to a knee injury. Those three are 3rd-5th in scoring on the Pacers and combine for over 10 rebounds and assists per game. Domantas Sabonis is leading the squad with 18.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. T.J. Warren is adding 18.6 points per game.
NBA Betting Trends
Boston
The Celtics have covered the spread in five straight road games and in five of their last seven following a loss.
Indiana
The Pacers are 2-6 against the spread in their last eight home games and 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a home underdog.
Prediction:
Indiana won the first meeting with Boston this season, a 122-117 victory at home. The Pacers have been able to pick up some wins as of late, but most were against losing teams. Their last two games against the top teams in the East were double-digit losses. Boston is without Brown and playing a little shaky in recent games, but I still like them to bounce back on the road. The Pacers don’t have the scoring depth that Boston has and the two have comparable defense. I expect Tatum to continue to play well and lead Boston to a win and cover.
NBA Prediction: Boston Celtics -2